Respected British actor Albert Finney dies at 82
LONDON — Albert Finney, one of the most respected and versatile actors of his generation and the star of films as diverse as “Tom Jones” and “Skyfall,” has died. He was 82.
From his early days as a strikingly handsome and magnetic screen presence to his closing acts as a brilliant character actor, Finney was a British treasure known for charismatic work on stage and screen.
Finney’s family said
Friday that he “passed away peacefully after a short illness with those closest to him by his side.” He died Thursday from a chest infection at London’s Royal Marsden Hospital, a cancer treatment center.
Finney burst to international fame in 1963 in the title role of “Tom Jones,” playing a lusty, humorous rogue who captivated audiences with his charming, devil-maycare antics.
He excelled in many other roles, including “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning,” a 1960 drama that was part of the “angry young man” film trend.
Finney was a rare star who managed to avoid the Hollywood limelight despite more than five decades of worldwide fame. He was known for skipping awards ceremonies, even when he was nominated for an Oscar.
“Tom Jones” gained him the first of five Oscar nominations. Other nominations followed for “Murder on the Orient Express,” “The Dresser,” “Under the Volcano” and “Erin Brockovich.” Each time he fell short.
In later years he brought authority to big-budget and high-grossing action movies, including the James Bond thriller “Skyfall” and two of the Bourne films. He also won hearts as Daddy Warbucks in “Annie.”
In one of his final roles, as the gruff Scotsman Kincade in “Skyfall,” he shared significant screen time with Daniel Craig as Bond and Judi Dench as M, turning the film’s final scenes into a master class of character acting.
“The world has lost a giant,” Craig said.
The son of a bookmaker, Finney was born May 9, 1936, and grew up in northern England on the outskirts of Manchester. He took to the stage at an early age, doing a number of school plays and — despite his lack of connections and his working-class roots — earning a place at London’s prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He made his first professional turn at 19.
Finney is survived by his third wife, Pene Delmage, son Simon and two grandchildren.